Green Goddess

Back To Basics

2011-04-23T04:27:00.001-05:00

Happy Earth Day

This day reminds me why I started my blog.

It was to inform myself on everything green and to put that information out there, to you. I have to admit I have become blogged down with TMI (To Much Information). So, from now on, I’m going to blog a topic, the pros and cons, and alternative ideas.

All the previous posts took a lot of time to research. (sometimes weeks). So, I’m going to try this little experiment. I’m going change the way I deliver the information. yes, I know, HALLELUHYA.

So, lets begin.

Margarine OR Butter?

“Margarine is one molecule away from plastic.” True or False?…this is FALSE. Margarine is made up of vegetable oil, water and salt. Oh and those pesky preservatives and chemicals, we know from previous blogs just what they can do. Also it is hydrogenated which introduces trans fatty acids which have been linked to heart disease.

Butter, on the other hand, is a natural product therefore contains no preservatives or chemicals. It is very high in cholesterol, as one tablespoon contains 30mg of cholesterol and 7mg saturated fat. The recommended daily limit is 300mg of cholesterol and 10mg of saturated fat. These elevated levels can obviously cause heart disease.

There are substitutes for butter that have a healthier nutritional value such as olive or canola oil, so when possible I try to use lots of olive oil and just a little butter. I have also used roasted garlic or hummus spread on bread. Yummy.

Always read the labels as ingredients as well as trans fat content and nutritional values will be listed.

Sunblock OR Suncrock?

2010-06-07T02:21:00.001-05:00

Sunscreen…. It’s supposed to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays and prevent skin cancer. Once again, another product that is full of harmful chemicals, most of which have been tested and have been proven to be CANCER causing agents!

Most sunscreens contain UV and UVB blocker chemicals such as THESE:

avobenzone,

benzophenone,

ethylhexyl

p-methoxycinnimate,

2-ethylhexyl salicylate,

homosalate,

octyl methoxycinnamate, &

oxybenzone (benzophenone-3)

These are supposed to be the active ingredients that keep the harmful rays from permeating our skin and causing damage. That is what the companies who make them want us to believe. Consequently, so much money is incorporated into commercials and advertising promoting the product’s safety when the truth is they are full of empty promises of keeping our skin “moisturized” as it “protects”. Let me break it down. They all are parallel in composition and function so let’s examine just one.

BENOPHENONE

This is one of the most powerful free radical generators known.

Benzophenone is activated by ultraviolet light energy that produces two free radical sites. The free radicals then react with other molecules and produce damage to the fats, proteins, and DNA of the cells - the types of damage that produce skin aging and the development of cancer.

I didn’t know what a free radical was, so after a little research this is my understanding…

Our bodies are made up of cells which are made up of atoms which make up molecules. These molecules are surrounded by pairs of electrons. A free radical is an unpaired electron.

It is these free radical molecules which rapidly react with other molecules, setting off a chain reaction of free radical formation, somewhat similar to an atomic explosion. So now we have this molecule which is missing an electron and is dying to get its hands on an electron to help fill its need. This free radical now goes and steals an electron from another molecule that is more willing to give one up and thus it becomes satisfied, but now the victim molecule has become a free radical! This goes on for quite some time. We therefore call this process the chain reaction of free radicals. When free radicals kill or damage enough cells in an organism, the organism ages and/or becomes mutated- which can be the beginning of cancer cells.

Test tube studies by Oxford University's Dr. John Knowland in 1998, discovered that these chemicals damage DNA.

In 1997 Canada, Europe and Australia changed sunscreens to use three specific active sunscreen ingredients - avobenzone (also known as Parsol 1789), titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. The USA held off in order to unload the massive stockpiles of sunscreen to the consumer so as NOT to lose money. However, avobenzone is a powerful free radical generator and should have also been banned.

There are some products out there, GREEN products, that don’t use these harmful chemicals. Here are some that I found:

Tomato suntan lotion SPF12 and SPF22. You can find this at the link below..

http://www.szepelet.com/productcategories/bodylotionsandsuntanproducts/66

Zinc oxide sunscreen contains none of the harmful chemicals that react with light and heat to produce free radicals. It is the white product you see on the noses of skiers and life guards.

Kabana’s Green Screen a zinc oxide based product. see link below..

http://www.kabanasunscreen.com/sunscreenproducts.html

Desert Essence Age Reversal Mineral Sunscreen again a zinc oxide based product. Link below.

http://www.desertessence.com/skin-care/sun-protection/age-reversal-spf-30-mineral-sunscreen

The more I read about the everyday products I use, the more frustrated I become as I have to really dig to discover what’s in the stuff I put ON and IN my body. Many in the business world lie to us just to sell a product and make money, without taking into consideration the results their products will have on people, animals, and our planet. That’s why it is SO important for us to inform each other when we discover harmful products sold to us under the pretence that it is safe.

Next time you are out shopping for the products you need, READ the ingredients… KNOW what you are putting onto and into your body!

It’s the least you can do for yourself!

Skin Care Products.

2010-05-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

We use them without thinking after a nice relaxing bath or shower and slap them on, but do you know what we are really putting on our skin? Well, let me enlighten you!

These are just TWO of the ingredients on the back of a generic “complete moisture lotion”. [Along with deodorant, lotion is about all I will use on my skin]. Browsing at the ingredients contained in skin care lotions in the store, nearly all of the lotions I examined contained the following staric acid and triethanalamine. Once I saw these on the label, I put each product back on the shelf…

Stearic Acid; hmmm ACID? is a colorless, odorless, waxy fatty acid occurring naturally in animal and vegetable fats. Apart from it’s use in many cosmetics, it is also used in candles, plastics, oil pastels and is an ingredient to soften rubber. It has been listed as an eye irritant and I can vouch for that.

Triethanolamine; This one makes me go duhhhhh! Toxic effects are eye and SKIN irritants. Why then, is it used in skin care products…? On the even more serious side it has been found to have mutative affects on mammalian Somatic cells that produce a cell called a Zygote, from which the entire mammalian embryo develops. MUTATIVE effects? What does that mean?

There are many more harmful ingredients in products we use every day and the list is literally endless. So what are the alternatives? My dad used olive oil when his hands were dry but I can’t see myself using this glistening alternative, especially in the summer, ewwww. So after a little research, these are a few of my recommendations. Not chemical free but BAD chemical free.

www.headtotoeorganics.com

http://www.bestorganicsforhealth.com/

http://waddick.mionegroup.com/

Wireless…The New Recyclable

2009-11-20T01:41:00.000-06:00

The more I look into the business of going green, the more I need to find out where the redundant products can be recycled. The answer, my friends, is not in the trash.

We know how to dispose of the basics- paper, plastics and glass. You can just phone your local refuse depot and they’ll provide you with a recycle bin… but what about cell phones and other unusable electronics?

A lot of companies are participating in “Wireless…The New Recyclable.” It is an idea that has been implemented by the wireless industry as a voluntary recycling program. Companies are encouraged to make greener products and to take back old wireless devices to either recycle or refurbish, whilst encouraging consumers to recycle too. They have set up a take back program which allows you to give them your old device to recycle. Some manufacturers even have mail in programs. Once you donate your wireless device, here’s what happens to them.

Reused: If wireless devices and accessories are in good working condition, they are given to worthy charities. You can also donate directly to worthy charities of your choice. One of my picks is women’s shelters. To do so, place your cell phone in a padded envelope and mail it to:

Call To Protect

2555 Bishop Circle West,

Dexter, MI 48130.

This organization takes the cell phones and makes sure they are given to women's shelters. If it’s inconvenient to mail it, you can look up drop off locations here;

www.donateaphone.com/CalltoProtect/dropoff.cfm

This site also shows how to donate to seniors.

Refurbished: Wireless devices may be reconditioned or repaired. Companies often refurbish the products and
return the devices to service.

Recycle/Recovered: When wireless devices reach their end-of-life, they are sent to processing facilities that
recover and safely recycle reusable materials.

Wireless device chargers may be recycled to recover copper.
Wireless handsets may be recycled to recover plastics.
Circuit boards can be recycled to recover precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium and other materials like copper, lead and zinc.
Accessory devices, including the headsets, power packs, and clips can also be recycled.
Batteries are recycled for their nickel, iron, cadmium, lead, and cobalt.

What should you do before recycling your phone?

❶ Terminate your service.
❷ Clear the phone’s memory of
contacts and other stored
information. Go to www.recyclewirelessphones to learn
how to do this.
❸ Remove your phone’s SIM card, if it has one. Phones that operate on GSM networks use SIM Cards.
If you are not sure if your phone
uses a SIM card or if you need
assistance removing your SIM card contact your wireless provider.

Most electronics can be recycled in this way. However, if anyone has any further information about this, feel free to post it in the comments section.

THE WIFE

2009-11-17T21:49:00.001-06:00

I’m trying hard to do research for the next blog but at the moment my partner, significant other, wife, ‘er indoors, the Mrs. is laid up with a broken humerous, which judging by the screams is not that funny. so my next blog may be a while

PAWS for thought…

2009-11-09T14:13:00.001-06:00

Ever wondered what you're feeding your pet when you give them the assorted dried varieties of food? Well listen very carefully, I will say this only once (because thinking about it more than once is giving me nightmares).

I have been a pet owner for most of my life and I would have never really thought about my dog Bella’s nutrition until I had started this blog… so let me start by saying I have been feeding my dog Pedigree for the last eight years. After researching for this blog, that will be changing as of yesterday. We are all taught not to feed our furry companions human food scraps when it turns out that’s probably the best thing for them.

There are 3 ingredients in pet foods that are giving me my nightmares, some or all of them are in many pet foods. Animal fat, lamb digest, meat and bone meal. Now apart from the animal fat the other two don’t sound too bad, but guess what? They have been determined by the FDA to be ingredients that commonly contain euthanized, diseased animals and the lethal drug used to kill those animals.

Other proteins in pet food are labeled to make us the consumer believe they are delicious cuts of meat from, say, chickens, cows etc. when in fact they are by products from the food industry that have been deemed inedible for humans. Chickens feet, heads and intestines, cow brains, tongues, esophagus, and animal fetal tissue dangerously high in hormones… just to name a few.

In researching for this blog I came across this interesting little nugget. Four of the five major pet food companies are subsidiaries of multinational food production companies:

Colgate Palmolive produces Hills Science Diet.

Heinz and Nestle make Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One.

Heinz makes 9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, and Nature's Recipe.

Mars makes Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, and Waltham's.

What a convenient way for the multinationals to off load their waste products… straight into our beloved pet’s food.

Another interesting fact is at the end product in the pet food manufacturing process- those appetizingly shaped kibble bits? They are sprayed with a combination of refined animal fat, lard, kitchen grease, and other oils, too rancid and inedible for humans, to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. Gross. These fats, greases and oils can lead to many health problems for your pet, such as diarrhea, digestive discomfort, bad breath and gas because our pets find these disgusting things difficult to digest.

Now lets get to the fillers. I use the term “fillers” very loosely because of the rise in their proportion within the product. These can be identified as some kind of grain, such as ground yellow corn, ground wheat or soybean meal. Apart from that fact, the corn is more than likely to be ground up dry corn husks because the oil has been extracted. Soy has been linked to bloat and gas in many dogs because dogs do not produce the amino acids needed to digest soy.

And finally, ingredients (such as corn syrup and corn gluten meal) used as humectants to prevent oxidation also bind water molecules in such a way that the food actually sticks to the animal's colon and may cause a blockage. Blockage of the colon may cause an increased risk of cancer of the colon or rectum. Because most pet food contains large percentages of added fat, a stabilizer is needed to maintain the quality of the food. Sodium nitrite, often used as a coloring agent, fixative, and preservative, has the ability to combine with natural stomach and food chemicals to create nitrosamines, powerful cancer-causing agents, according to “A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives”. The extra protein and harsh ingredients of many pet foods place an overload on the kidneys. Left untreated, the toxic buildup leads to vomiting, loss of appetite, uremic poisoning, and death.

I did not even touch on contaminated products from China that invoked the massive recall of pet food or the fact that canned wet foods have been tested and some were found to contain euthanized cats and dogs! That one you’ll have to research for yourselves. I could not find the words to write about it.

That brings me to the 2 bodies of government who are supposed to regulate pet food products.. “The Food and Drug Administration” and “The Association of American Feed Control Officials”.

The FDA states Pet foods that contain even the tiniest piece of a diseased and/or euthanized animal are a violation of Federal law and should be prohibited. Yet they do NOT enforce these Federal laws that were developed to protect people and our pets, in fact, they illegally provide their permission to pet food manufacturers to violate them. As long as pet food meets the AAFCO minimum standards it can be sold, even if it contains a whole heap of shit that I wouldn’t purposely feed my dog. Well, not any more.

I will be looking for products that contain no by products but a variety of meat proteins, chicken fat but not animal fat and brown rice not ground yellow corn or soybean. Other than that Bella will get raw veggies (no onions for dogs) and proper chicken and beef whenever we have it.

As a side bar, who the hell do these companies think they are? Have they no heart or petmanity? Why is it all about how much money they can make, regardless of what shit they package and call nutritional pet food? Why didn’t I know any of this information before? I realize of course, that if these things were common knowledge, pet food manufacturers would either go out of business or they would have to change their way of making pet foods.

Because these are not well known facts, I worry that our pets will continue eating contaminated, unhealthy food as they have no voice or choice in the matter. Being a good pet owner means we are responsible to feed them only healthy foods. For those of you who feel the same, read the ingredients on the pet food you buy before letting your beloved pet chow down. It could be the difference between life or death for our babies.

There are many products listed on the internet as natural or healthy. Don’t take the logo’s word for it, read the ingredients on the back… Here are just a few examples I found that contain healthy ingredients for our beloved pets.. I know there are more but check these out for a start..

http://www.lukesallnatural.com/

http://www.healthypetnet.com/

http://www.halopets.com/natural-pet-products.html

TOOTHPASTE…spit don’t swallow

2009-11-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

It’s only taken me the 3 previous posts to realize that we spend a lot of time and money, daily…hourly…secondly, if there is such a word, ingesting harmful chemicals. We have become so consumed with saving time and money that we overlook the possibility that what we use is harmful to us and the environment… today's topic is TOOTHPASTE.

Yep. You heard me. The very thing we put in our mouths on a daily basis is putting chemicals in our bodies and in our water ways, and I’ll bet most of us do not even realize it. Do we ever stop to read the list of ingredients on that harmless looking little tube? No? Go ahead and guess what you're going to find. There is no list. That’s right. The companies that make toothpaste do not have to list the ingredients because toothpaste is not for consumption nor is it a drug. Therefore it is not regulated by the FDA so manufacturers do not have to list the many chemicals toothpaste contains. One of the things that may be listed on the packaging is fluoride, we hear the word so many times that we disconnect, forgetting the fact that it is a chemical. Let’s see what sort of illnesses it can cause if ingested… Constipation, Rheumatism, Arthritis, Chronic fatigue, Heart disease and Cancer. The following are some of the most common ingredients in toothpaste and their effects on both us and the environment.

TRICLOSAN: is a synthetic antimicrobial agent that is found not only in toothpaste but soaps, cosmetics, and deodorants. Studies have increasingly linked triclosan to a range of health and environmental effects
from skin irritation, allergy susceptibility, bacterial and compounded antibiotic resistance, and dioxin contamination to the destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems. Recently, there have been a number of concerns about triclosan and its link to dioxin. Here’s what could occur.. Dioxin can be highly carcinogenic and can cause health problems as severe as weakening of the immune system, decreased fertility, altered sex hormones, miscarriage, birth effects, and cancer. Triclosan is listed as “could be” and “suspected to be” contaminated with dioxins in EPA’s draft ”Dioxin Reassessment.”

HUMECTANTS: give toothpaste its texture as well as retain some moisture so that your toothpaste does not dry out. Glycerin, sorbitol, and water are common humectants. Xylitol is an uncommon but superior humectant, which also boosts fluoride's cavity-fighting power.

Methylparaben and Ethylparaben: are preservatives. Parabens can cause skin irritation and allergies and have also been found in tumors in breast cancer. Parabens are known to be able to mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Even though it is impossible to link parabens directly with tumors based on the current studies, it is also impossible to say parabens are safe as well, since their long-term health effects of exposure are essentially unknown. I can not find any information on environmental risks for these preservatives.

Pyrophosphate: I could not find any information on possible side effects of this product, however it is in toothpaste.

Potassium Nitrate: is chemically synthesized from nitric acid, ammonia, natural gas and soda ash/potash. It is a potential carcinogen. It is also present in hot dogs and believe it or not fireworks, specifically smoke bombs…hmmmm.

Lauryl sarcosinate: is a detergent and a foaming agent. It can be an irritant to the gums and is also included in toothpaste.

Polyethylene glycol: is prescribed by doctors as a laxative… HOLY SHIT! There’s a laxative in my toothpaste! Side effects can include severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; confusion; mental or mood changes; muscle weakness or cramps; persistent or severe nausea and vomiting; seizure; severe or persistent stomach bloating, swelling, or pain; shivering; slow or irregular heartbeat, trouble sleeping, and vomiting of blood. Enough said. Again I could not find information on environmental effects.

So what are the alternatives? We can’t have good oral health if we don’t brush our teeth! Thankfully, there are many GREEN toothpastes available online.

Checkout;

www.tomsofmaine.com for toothpaste and other green products.

Also www.jason-natural.com for lots of green oral products.

www.peelu.com This link will take you to the cheapest green toothpaste I’ve found, only $3 per tube. The products are out there if we just take the time to look and you could also try making your own. There are many recipes online…

Just as a side note, I know that the chemicals we use daily are being researched to see if they do cause diseases like cancer, allergies, asthma, & autism, but think back about 60 years ago.. There was no mentioned connection of ingredients like these to ANY diseases.. and do you know why? Simply stated, none of these ingredients were in toothpastes! Only simple natural and safe products were used to make them. It wasn’t until mankind became greedy, playing into people’s vanity to lure them into believing this toothpaste and that one could “illuminate your smile”, fight tartar for the smokers, provide extra fluoride for whitening, etc… No one cared about these things 60 years ago, but today we are all about that perfect smile with the whitest teeth. We want them to glow in the frikkin dark, we do…

But at what cost?

ORGANIC PRODUCE- pesticide free?

2009-10-24T15:24:00.001-05:00

I was trying to write a nice blog to obtain some ideas on having a GREEN thanksgiving. Of course, I thought about organic veggies, so I started doing what I do and began researching. OMG.

First of all, organic does not automatically mean pesticide and chemical free! Organic farmers are allowed to use pesticides as long as they are derived from natural sources and are not synthetically made. That sounds harmless enough, right? Not so! I could not believe that some of the pesticides used by organic farmers are detrimental to both mammals, so called “good” insects, and to the environment. There is little research on the effects on humans (aren’t we mammals?) because natural pesticides were thought to be safe.

SO HERE ARE THE FACTS:

These are what “organic” pesticides are comprised of-

ROTENONE-PYRETHRIN; Now this one is my personal favorite… Lets break it down in two parts;

1. Rotenone is derived from the roots of tropical legumes, sounds harmless enough, right? WRONG, it is a slow-acting poison which interferes with the electron-transport system in the mitochondria. Which basically means it messes with a cell’s energy production. Rotenone is extremely toxic to fish and slightly toxic to some bird species. In testing (which i do not and will never condone), this product killed a 100 pound pig. Growth retardation and vomiting resulted from chronic exposures of rats and dogs. It also caused a very high maternal mortality rate in rats. Local effects on the body include conjunctivitis, dermatitis, sore throat, and congestion. Ingestion produces effects ranging from mild irritation to vomiting. Inhalation of high doses can cause increased respiration followed by depression and convulsions. The compound can cause a mild rash in humans and is a strong eye irritant to rabbits. This pesticide was widely used as an organic product until 2005 when research linked it to Parkinson's disease. [did you hear that Michael J. Fox?]

2. PYRETHRIN; is derived from the Chrysanthemum, another harmless sounding plant product. This is the most widely used ORGANIC pesticide in the USA. Again this product is extremely toxic to fish and bees and slightly toxic to some birds. As for Carcinogenic effects status it has not been established. This product can also cause damage to both the liver and the lungs.

INSECTICIDAL SOAP; probably the most GREEN of pesticides. It is comprised of Sodium or Potassium salt combined with fatty acids. It works by attacking the insect's outer shell and causes cell collapse. Not nice I know but insecticidal soaps are not toxic to animals, leave no residue and can be used right up until harvest.

BT (bacillus thuringiensis); This is a bacteria we would use in powder form. It attacks the stomach and causes the insect to stop eating and die. It is host specific and causes no ill effects on people, animals, birds or bees but can kill good bugs such as butterfly larva. Can cause minor skin irritation and antibody reactions.

NEEM; The key ingredient here is Azadirachtin which is a natural insecticide found in the Neem tree. It is similar to the insect's own hormone that controls metamorphosis, therefore Neem stops the insect from being able to change from larva to pupa to adult. It is said to be relatively harmless to spiders, butterflies, bees and ladybugs because they do not feed off the actual plant tissue. However, studies show that this product in high doses kills rabbits. It also reduces fertility in small mammals. As for the effects on humans- No information was found. Effects on fetus and embryos- No information was found. Carcinogenic Effects- No information was found. Although this pesticide breaks down in water after about 50-100 hours, if large concentrations reach our waterways significant fish kill will occur.

Sabadilla; This is used on citrus trees, avocados, and mangos. It is made from the seeds of a lily bulb. The list of effects of this on humans is as follows; Carcinogen, reproductive and developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity. It has a high potential for water contamination, which makes it toxic to aquatic organisms.

The list of pesticides used in organic farming seems endless and there are many more that I did not highlight here. Now I started this post hoping to learn more about organic veggies, instead I have learned that organic is not as Green as we have been led to believe. These pesticides are classified as safe for use in organic farming because they are extracted from natural sources. I can only shudder at what the harmful effects of synthetically made pesticides are to us. I am trying to live GREEN but after discovering that we are taking in unhealthy pesticides even when we think we are eating GREEN makes me want to eat, erm, say- purple? I am quickly losing faith in the fact that eating organically is so much better for us. It costs more, and we are ingesting more covert poisons which are made to appear unharmful because they are labeled “organic” and derived from “natural resources”.

And I haven’t even researched our meat products yet… oh, the dread….

[Information was obtained from the Cornell Institute and the EPA].

Lean green, cleaning machine

2009-10-18T11:04:00.001-05:00

The GREEN cleaning industry is worth billions of dollars and these cleaners are convenient but a little more expensive than what we are used to using. Is the extra expense worth taking the plunge? The following are some of the facts I flushed out, about conventional and GREEN cleaning products. Most of the conventional products contain chemicals that harm both us and the environment. They contain compounds that can impair neurological functions and the chemicals can be toxic to our lungs and reproductive organs. They can also be carcinogens- THEY CAN CAUSE CANCER!

Environmentally, when we use these conventional products and then rinse them away and wash the clothes we used them with, that all goes into our water system. TONS of chemicals everyday. Chemicals that the manufacturers do not even have to list on their products, as there is little regulation for cleaning chemicals. One company, [which will remain nameless and I suspect they all operate the same way], was quoted as saying “ We TRY to do a thorough job of testing the chemicals that we produce and sell.” To which i reply “thanks for trying”!

THIS IS SHOCKING TO ME…

So what are the alternatives? There are literally thousands of GREEN cleaners available in stores and online. Just because they say GREEN, doesn’t mean they are. Some still contain harmful chemicals. Read the labels! One of the ingredients you are likely to see is Alkyl Polyglucoside, another, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which is said to cause skin irritation. Green does not always mean Green!

The truth is that we don’t even need any chemicals to clean our homes. Apparently, good ol’ baking soda and vinegar work just fine for most cleaning jobs around the home and of course require more elbow grease and I know that for a lot of people, this might not be the most convenient approach… So here are a few web sites and products that I found to be the most GREEN.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Sal Suds. You can find this and more green products at http://www.drbronner.com

Bon Ami cleaning products at http://www.bonami.com/

green without spending too much green..

2009-10-17T16:41:00.003-05:00

every time i hear the words GOING GREEN, i feel guilty that i’m not really that green, i don’t know much about green products and i assume they cost a fortune. So my plan is to review products that claim to be green, to understand their cost effectiveness.
SO here goes… let’s start with changing light bulbs… which seems to be the easiest thing we can do to save energy, but how cost effective are they? let’s take a look-
THE PRO’S
Today most people choose CFL’s, [compact fluorescent light bulbs], the cost ranging from $5.00 to $30.00 depending on style and wattage. i have probably 10 of the $5.00 bulbs in my home and according to the nifty savings calculator on the energy star web site. http://www.energystar.gov/. i apparently save $269 per year in energy costs. BUT DO i REALLY? actually i’ve worked out that i save an extra $21.00 on top of that, comparing the cost of regular light bulbs and how many CFL’s i would use.
THE CON’S
And there are some…
CFL’s still contain MERCURY, not as much as a regular light bulb but enough that you have to worry about clean up if you break one. You have to turn off your AC/heating, and ventilate the room for 15 mins. Really! i know! it’s recommended you wear gloves as you pick up the pieces of glass and place them in a glass jar with a lid that seals or in a plastic bag that seals, use duct tape [another use for duck tape] to pick up the tiny pieces of glass remaining and wipe with a damp cloth or vacuum if on carpet. dispose of gloves and damp rag in said jar or bag and rinse out vacuum canister. think your done…? no way! if your clothes got any on them, get rid of them, so don’t be cleaning this up in your Dolce and Gabbana spring collection recycled hemp pants. You can’t put contaminated clothes in the washer in case you pollute the sewer system. Wouldn’t that be real green! Think your done now? Not yet, as the next several times you vacuum you must turn off the AC/heating and ventilate your home for 15 mins…
Now your done.
So what’s in the future…
LED’s [light emitting diodes], seem to be the next thing we’ll be hearing about in a big way. We already use them in recess lighting but at the moment they are fairly expensive for regular household use. The buzz out there is, they will last 10 times longer than CFL’s and they’ll stay cool to the touch because there is no inner filament to heat up. For this reason they’ll be more durable AND they contain no mercury. Now that’s green!

TIP OF THE DAY …why not ask for electronic billing for utilities and save on paper?